


A Crown of Roses

by Tyvani (ElementCrystal)



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, F/F, Falling In Love, Love, Seriha Adaar, Unrequited
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-02
Updated: 2015-07-03
Packaged: 2018-04-07 08:06:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4255848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElementCrystal/pseuds/Tyvani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Inquisitor had no idea how Cassandra felt when she first fell in love with her, so when Cassandra turned her down, Adaar had a hard time letting go. When Cole gets wrapped up in her thoughts, however, things go from bad to worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

Everyone had been enjoying themselves tonight. Somehow, Varric and The Iron Bull had convinced everyone to come drinking in the tavern tonight. Tables had been pushed together in the center of the room and they all sat together. Sera, Blackwall, Dorian, Vivienne, Cassandra, Solas. Even Cole sat amongst them. Seated right between Bull and Varric. Everyone had drinks in front of them, though not everyone was drinking a lot.

Seriha was still on her first mug.

They all talked and joked with each other. Even through the cool remarks from Vivienne and the stiff discussion from Solas, they were having a good time, even enjoying each others’ company.

All through the talking, however, Adaar’s mind drifted. Every time she laughed, her eyes found themselves on Cassandra, watching her lips curl into that beautiful smile, as well. And every time she had to rip her eyes away from her. Seriha lifted her mug and took a big drink. When she set it down again, she watched her thumbs idly brush against the metal.

“Soft soil between my fingers, beneath my nails. Hands scratched and pricked by thorns, but still working. Want it just right. Want to see her smile at them. Perhaps she’d even wear a band of roses instead of a braid.”

Seriha’s eyes went wide and her whole body tensed. Everyone was silent as they turned to look at Cole and then at her. Adaar’s embarrassment was constricting. She stood immediately, her chair grinding against the stone loudly and her drink left behind as she escaped through the door.

“‘A band of roses instead of a braid,’ huh? Sounds li-” Varric’s voice spoke humorously behind her until the door closed again.

Cole. He just had to spout the thoughts in her mind. Why did he have to do that?

But she knew it wasn’t really Cole’s fault. She was supposed to let go, to forget she ever loved her, but it was so hard to smother it. The fire was too big, too strong. All she could do was distract herself from it to forget. But having it pulled so far forward in her mind and so publicly was debilitating.

When she could still hear them talking loudly through the door, she stepped farther away. Then the door opened behind her. She didn’t want to look, but she turned anyways.

“ _You_ ,” Cassandra advanced on her, finger pointed at her chest. Seriha took a step back, eyes wide as she clenched her hands into fists and held her breath. “I told you I could not be with you, yet you are still trying to win me over?”

“It was an old thought.” Cole. He was suddenly standing next to them both. “She was remembering. She doesn’t like remembering.”

Adaar pressed her lips together and tried to breathe quietly and calmly. Her eyes moved between the two before her.

“It hurts, and it’s smothering, overwhelming. She doesn’t want to push you away, because you make her laugh and because she makes you, laugh, too. But she can’t look at you without falling into your eyes, like falling into warm honey. But not as sticky.”

“Cole,” Seriha said sharply, her expression hardening. She was surprised it sounded so even when it felt like she barely choked it out.

“I’m sorry. Your thoughts are loud.”

Cassandra opened her mouth and spoke again. “Inquisitor-”

“Distant, impersonal-”

“Cole!” Seriha repeated. And then he was gone. She looked down at Cassandra and held a stoney face for her.

The woman sighed sharply and shook her head. “I do enjoy your company, as well, but I cannot be with you like that. You know that already.”

She looked away again, turned her eyes down and nodded. Adaar wouldn’t repeat her understanding.

After a moment, Cassandra took a step back, her body turning away. Seriha turned to watch her. “Then let's not trouble ourselves with this anymore and go back inside,” she said, her voice hinting at discomfort.

With a nod, Adaar replied, “You go ahead.”

Cassandra watched her carefully for a moment, but didn't argue. "As you wish," she said and left. Seriha didn’t follow. Instead, when the door closed again, she released a heavy breath and turned away again, walking up to the castle steps and taking her time climbing them.

“She admires you a lot, you know,” Cole said, walking beside her now.

Seriha nodded. “I know.”

“And she did like the way the garden has been looking, too. Especially the flowers. She didn’t know they were your doing. She thinks it’s sweet.”

“Can you… not tell me what she thinks of me? I don’t want to know anymore…”

“Okay.”

Adaar continued walking through the main hall, still populated by a couple groups of people despite how late it was getting. As Cole continued with her, she looked back at him again and said, “Are you just gonna stay with me, then?”

He turned and smiled up at her. “Yes. I think you could use a friend.”

She could help but smile at him, despite the sadness showing on her face. “Thank you, Cole, for trying to help.”

“It’s what I do.”


	2. Part 2

Cassandra didn’t know if she liked visiting the Chantry Garden anymore. Not when the roses she had admired now reminded her of the woman who planted them for her. The woman who had flirted at every chance and who she had rejected. But she still liked to pray there every so often and still liked to visit Mother Giselle. As she was crossing the garden, though, she happened to turn her head and see her there. The Inquisitor, kneeling next to an elf girl and trimming one of the rose bushes along the wall.

And she realized seeing that infuriated her.

But she wasn’t going to make a scene over it. That would be foolish. Cassandra clenched her fists and marched firmly to the small chapel. Inside, she breathed out, trying to push out all the bitterness and anger building in her. When she felt calmer again, she dropped to one knee and clasped her hands together to softly recite a collection of chants she deemed relevant.

It took some time, but when she was done, she felt better. Lighter. Cassandra stepped back outside and stopped to cross her arms and lean against the pillar nearest to her. The gardens were truly beautiful. She couldn’t deny it. Everyone seemed to feel so at ease here, and she was thankful she did now, too.

And then her eyes fell on the Inquisitor again. In a different spot, at another bush. The ease fell away, cracking under irritability.

“She tells people it distracts her from her responsibilities.” 

Cassandra turned, surprised by Cole’s sudden presence. He stood next to the other pillar.

“But, really, she feels like it _is_ her responsibility to care for them. She doesn’t know how to do it, though, but the girl tells her what to do. It helps her focus.”

“I did not ask,” she said, turning away and letting the annoyance on her face show.

“Not out loud,” Cole replied earnestly.

“Why are you telling me this, then?”

“Because she used to think she should like men, too. Her mother was so in love with her father that she wanted something just like it. But it changed when she realized how pretty she thought girls were, and what it was like when she fell in love with one.”

“Cole…” Cassandra turned back to him, speaking with a gentle annoyance. His words hit too close to home and she didn’t want them to.

“You’re afraid of your feelings. You don’t want them, but they’re in there anyways and it’s okay.”

The pain of the truth struck her face and she quickly furrowed her brow to try to hide it. When she looked back again, he was gone. How could he always leave her feeling so vulnerable?

Cassandra sighed and looked back at the garden again. She watched the Inquisitor work for a time, trying to think about what Cole told her and trying to understand what Adaar might be thinking. The Inquisitor talked with the girl next to her, but she didn’t smile much. When Adaar paused to admire one of the roses, Cassandra watched her brush her thumb against one of the petals and took notice of the solemness of her expression. Shortly after, the Inquisitor stood, brushing loose pieces of dirt from her hands. With unheard words, the two parted ways.

When Adaar was gone, Cassandra looked down. Pushing out from the leaves of another bush, a rose extended towards her, as if just for her. She pressed her lips together and lowered a gloved hand to caress the flower, brushing her own thumb against one of the petals.


	3. Part 3

“Inquisitor, may I have a word?”

Adaar was surprised by the sound of Cassandra’s voice as she passed to the requisitions office. Thoughts tumbled in her mind and her heart beat hard against her chest. She forced an even breath out as she stopped and turned to her. “What do you need?”

Cassandra cast her gaze to the side, her expression betraying discomfort. With a wave of her hand, she beckoned for Seriha to follow her up the steps next to her. The Inquisitor couldn’t help but worry about what she had to say this time. She kept her eyes on the stairs, watching where she placed her feet to avoid her attention being caught on the woman in front of her. When she reached the top, Cassandra was already through the door to the watch tower. Adaar followed her through and to the other side, finding Cassandra standing close one of the battlements and looking out over the mountains.

But Seriha didn’t know what to think. “Is everything okay?”

“That is what I wanted to talk about,” she started, looking down at her hands. When she looked up again, she continued, “I would like to apologize for the way I treated you that night outside the tavern. I was afraid you were still trying to… _woo_ me and I didn’t appreciate it. But I was too harsh on you, and it did not help that Varric was teasing me about what Cole said.”

“Oh,” Adaar said in response, turning her head down for a moment before meeting her gaze again. “Well, thank you, Cassandra. I... appreciate that.”

And then she smiled sweetly. “I hope so. I would hate to lose your companionship.”

Seriha relaxed her shoulders, smiling in the same manner despite the way her heart ached. “And you probably understand I feel the same way.”

“I do,” she replied with a nod.

“Okay, then I’ll let you get back to your duties,” Seriha said with a nod of her own and turned to walked away.

“Wait.”

She stopped and turned back, confused as to what else she might have to say.

“What did you mean by ‘a band of roses’?”

Seriha opened her mouth for a moment, but took longer to actually speak. She was caught by surprise. “I was thinking of a daisy chain or a flower crown. But you wear your braid like a band so…”

“I see. And you were hoping I would make such a thing and wear it?”

Adaar couldn’t help but chuckle softly at herself. She raised a hand to scratch her head and said, “Yeah.”

“That is silly,” Cassandra responded. Seriha paused to look at her, worried until she added, “I don’t even know how to make one.”

And then Adaar tilted her head. “You’ve never made one before?”

“No. Why would I?”

“Well... They’re cute and you can give them to your friends or someone you like.” Then she paused as a thought crossed her mind. Seriha shrugged and cautiously offered, “If you want, I could show you how.”

With an interested look, Cassandra replied, “Yes. I would like that.”

Seriha smiled again and raised a hand, directing her to lead the way along the wall and down the steps to the garden. They walked out into the courtyard and stopped. The qunari spoke first. “Do you want roses or something else?”

“I... suppose roses will do.”

When Adaar glanced over at her, Cassandra was looking away. She wondered at her expression, but turned her attention to the flowers. She looked for some she liked, pulling Cassandra over to a group of forget-me-nots and chickweeds. “Go ahead and pick some of these. The ones with the thickest stems,” she said, her hand touching the forget-me-nots. Then she moved her hand to the others. “For these, just get ones with long stems.”

“These are ones you like?”

Seriha smiled and nodded her head. “This way we can make them for each other, and you don’t have to deal with the thorns.”

With a smile, Cassandra picked the ones Seriha had pointed out. Adaar, in turn, directed her attention to finding flowers for her and began walking to each of the bushes she had planted to pick a rose or two from each, along with a few leaves; enough to string them entirely around Cassandra’s head. She took longer, careful not to prick herself on the thorns, and Cassandra came by to watch her until she was done. When Seriha looked at her and saw her holding the small bouquet of flowers, she couldn’t help but smile. Taking her roses carefully in hand, she walked over to sit cross-legged on the ground beneath one of the trees. Cassandra sat down beside her.

“You have a knife, right?”

The woman stared at her for a moment before reaching a hand to her hip and beneath her coattails, procuring one. Adaar smiled and began trimming the thorns with it.

“So how does this work?” Cassandra asked while she waited.

“Oh, what you do is…” Seriha started, setting the flower in her hand aside for a moment. “You take your nail and punch a small hole into the stem, then you thread the stem of another flower into the hole, and repeat until you’re done. Some of the kids knew how to actually braid the flower stems but… I never got a chance to ask. Got too busy.”

“What busied you so?” Cassandra asked, starting to cut her thumbnail into one of the forget-me-not’s and pull another through the hole. Then she stopped to consider the chickweed flower. “How will I attach this one? The stem is so small.”

“Oh, that one you can just tuck in the holes,” Seriha replied and reached over to take her flowers and tuck the first chickweed flower in the hole Cassandra had made. With the rest of the stem, she carefully wrapped it around the base of the second forget-me-not and loosely tied it there. She attached another the same way before examining it. The small size of the chickweed fit nicely between the larger flowers. Seriha smiled. “But…” she started to continue, handing the chain back to Cassandra. “It was around that time when my magic showed up. My parents brought a mage in to teach me everything I had to know and he made me dedicate a lot of time to my studies. He often told me about the kids he’d failed and he wanted to prevent it as much as he could.”

“He blamed himself?”

“Always. He thought if he had taught them more, made them work harder, that they wouldn’t have turned into abominations.”

“I see...”

“He was still a good teacher, though. He taught me a lot, and he never had to be harsh, either. Just thorough. I remember spending hours with him in the training field for the guards, but late at night when they weren’t using it. It’d be dark, but he make me practice spells over and over again. Made me focus on every action I used and every feeling I had when I used my powers.”

“Was he your only teacher?”

“Growing up, he was. He was a good mage, though, and a good teacher.”

“So you never grew up in a circle?” Just after she spoke, Cassandra held up her chain of flowers to show her progress.

“That’s looking good!” She smiled at her work, then added teasingly, “You sure you haven’t done this before?”

“Oh, shut up.”

With a chuckle, Adaar went back to cutting the thorns off the last couple of roses. “But no, I was never in a circle.”

“Who was there to stop the abominations, then? Or anyone who was incapable of controlling their magic?”

Seriha raised her shoulders. “The guards. And the trusted mages, too. My teacher was one of them. But anyone who couldn’t control their power? Well... the guards had magic-blocking collars. From the _Tal_ -Vashoth. It’s... not a nice subject...”

“I am sorry,” Cassandra said. “Let us speak of something else.”

“Hm,” Adaar hummed thoughtfully, eager to change the subject. She handed Cassandra’s knife back to her and began stringing the roses together, tucking the extra leaves into the holes she made, as well, to fill the chain out more. “You never told me what you thought of the latest chapter of Swords and Shields.”

“I-” Cassandra’s eyes widened at the topic.

Seriha raised an eyebrow and looked at her. “You can’t tell me you didn’t read the whole thing yet.”

The woman cleared her throat, pink coloring her cheeks as she fought for an answer. “I… very much enjoyed it.”

The Inquisitor couldn’t help but chuckle again. “Varric didn’t leave you with another cliffhanger, did he?”

Cassandra groaned. “He did. He is a cruel man.”

“Am I gonna have to make him to write _another_ chapter?”

“Oh, Maker…”

With a smile, Adaar focused back on her chain, stringing the last rose into it and attaching it to itself. When it was complete she held it up and took a moment to admire it.

“Wait, how did you do the last one?”

“Oh, like this.” Adaar set her crown on her knee and took the flowers from Cassandra’s hands. She couldn’t help but hold her breath at the contact, her heart pounding in her chest. But, with careful hands, she made one last hole in the stem of the first flower and strung the last one through it.

Cassandra laughed. “Of course. That should have been obvious.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Seriha said with a smile. She handed the chain back to Cassandra and picked her own back up. “Now hold still.” Her hands raised the crown of roses above the woman’s head and gently fixed it over her braid. When she pulled it away, her smile broadened. Cassandra’s eyes opened and she looked up, but failed to see it.

“How does it look?” She asked, a hint of worry in her tone.

“It looks perfect,” Seriha replied.

A smile appeared on her face. It lingered for a moment until she looked at the crown in her hands. When she looked back up again, it was clear she was confused. “How will yours sit on your head with your…?”

Adaar laughed softly. Her hand rose to her hand, pointing out where her horn started. “We usually have to hook ‘em on here.”

“Hm.” Cassandra looked at her crown again. After a moment, she motioned with her hand and said, “Come here.”

Seriha blinked and leaned closer, turning her head so the woman could reach it. Cassandra unhooked one of her chains and wrapped it around her head, positioning it where the qunari had directed and fumbling for a moment as she reattached the chain. When her hands drew away again, Seriha lifted her head and smiled at her. “How does mine look?”

Cassandra smiled, or maybe she was beaming. Seriha found herself lost in her as the woman answered. “I like it.”

“I’m glad.”

She looked out at the garden around her for a moment, and the qunari found herself wondering what she was thinking. “I am sad they will not last. Nevertheless, this was nice. Thank you, In-” Cassandra paused. “Adaar.”

Seriha’s head tilted at the correction, a warm smile touching her lips. “It was.”

For a short time longer, the two sat next to each other, admiring the scenery of the garden. When Seriha felt the silence growing uncomfortable, she glanced back at Cassandra one more time, getting a good look at her before standing up and reaching down to help her up.

“Yes, we should return to our duties now.”

Adaar nodded and took a step back. “Take care, Cassandra.”

“And you, as well.”

Neither took their crown off for a time. And Seriha, at least, couldn’t stop smiling as the day pressed on.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a cross-post from my personal Tumblr account. I hadn't added any more than the three short parts, but if you would like to see more, feel free to let me know.


End file.
